The Road Home
by XFKirsten
Summary: When Sarah gets shot, the road home is not easy - for her or for Chuck.


This is my first _Chuck_ fic, and the first fic I've finished in any fandom in a few years now. Go me!

I had this idea yesterday, a few snippets of what could have been a larger story. I thought about fleshing it all out into a longer story, but then I realized that the emotional moments playing out in my mind like a movie already told everything that was really important. :)

Totally un-beta'ed, so all errors are my own!

Disclaimer: I don't own _Chuck_ or any of the characters, they belong to NBC/Universal. I just like to play in their sandbox!

* * *

They're chasing an international arms dealer through a warehouse. Casey is hot on the mark's heels, but Chuck and Sarah aren't far behind.

Suddenly, a gunshot rings out, and Sarah drops with a grunt. As Chuck turns to glance over his shoulder, his world comes crashing down. She's lying on the ground, a bright stain red blooming on her side.

_"Sarah!"_

Chuck screams her name and stumbles over his own feet as he races back to her. Out of the corner of his eye, he sees a thug who they thought was already dead, but apparently had the strength left to pull the trigger one last time. It must have taken all he had, because his head finally drops to the ground and he moves no more.

Falling to his knees at Sarah's side, Chuck reaches out to try and stop the flow of blood. She's not wearing body armor - this wasn't even supposed to be a mission. It was supposed to be a night out, dinner and maybe some music afterward. But somehow trouble always seems to find them, and tonight is no exception.

"Sarah, come on, stay with me," he begs. But her eyes are already glassing over with shock, and he's not even sure she hears him. "Casey! Someone! _Help!_" His voice takes on a panicky edge.

Events after that become a blur. The world disappears, and all he can focus on is keeping Sarah alive. Casey reappears at some point, and then there's an ambulance, and then Chuck's sitting next to the stretcher on the way to the hospital.

He's grateful when Casey jumps in with a cover story, because Chuck doesn't believe he's coherent enough to even think of one, let alone tell it convincingly.

Then they're at the hospital. Devon's there, and after a moment of initial shock at seeing Sarah on the gurney, his training kicks in and suddenly he's Westside Medical's star cardiothoracic surgeon again. He only has time to shoot Chuck a reassuring look as they disappear with Sarah down a hallway. Chuck tries to follow, but is stopped by two nurses. He struggles instinctively for a moment before Casey steps in and takes him by the shoulders.

"It's time to let them help her now," he tells Chuck. His voice is firm, but Chuck can hear the compassion in it, too.

Chuck finally nods mutely and sinks into a chair, dropping his face into his hands.

* * *

Ellie finds him sitting there, anxiously waiting for any word. Hie eyes are red-rimmed, and his shoulders are hunched and tense. She doesn't say a word as she falls into the seat next to him - she just reaches out and wraps her arms around him.

* * *

When Devon appears in the hallway hours later, grim faced and exhausted, Chuck feels his stomach drop to the floor. Time stops, and he braces for the news he knows is coming, the news he's only ever heard in his nightmares.

But Devon allows a ghost of a smile to tug at his lips. "She's alive," he says quietly.

Chuck sags with relief and his eyes fill with tears. When he trusts himself to stand, he wraps his brother-in-law in a grateful hug. He tries to say "thank you," but the words are caught in his throat. Even so, Devon understands.

When he pulls back, the look on Devon's face is still grave.

"She's not out of the woods yet," he explains. "We even lost her at one point, but we got her back. She's still in bad shape... but she's alive."

Swallowing hard, Chuck nods. He can't help but think of what Devon's not saying aloud: that he still could lose her. Then, finding his voice, he asks, "Can I...?"

"Yeah. Yeah, bro, come on," Devon answers. He puts a hand on Chuck's shoulder, and guides him toward Sarah's room.

* * *

When he sees Sarah, his first reaction is immense relief. It's one thing to be told she's still alive, but it's another thing to see her for himself, to see the rise and fall of her chest.

As Chuck moves to her side, though, his heart breaks a little. The woman who has seemed nigh on indestructible is now lying deathly still on a hospital bed, being kept alive only by a myriad of machines. Her face is ashen, and her lips are as pale as her skin.

He reaches out a shaky hand and brushes a lock of hair back from her cheek. His hand lingers there for a moment before dropping to her side to wrap her cold fingers in his own.

"Please don't leave me, Sarah," he whispers, and settles in to wait.

* * *

Chuck lives at her bedside in the days that follow, despite everyone's attempts to get him to go home for at least a few hours of real sleep. But he knows that, even if he did go home, sleep wouldn't come anyways, not when he's away from her.

He almost misses it when she finally comes around. He's dozing in a chair, still holding her hand. Someone squeezes his fingers ever so slightly, just enough to rouse him. As his eyes drift open, he's already opening his mouth to tell Ellie or Devon or Casey that he really doesn't need to go home.

It takes him a moment to realize that none of them are in the room.

His gaze falls on Sarah, and when he sees her blue eyes looking back at him, the rest of the world disappears. "Sarah," he breathes as he reaches up to caress her cheek.

Her throat is still too dry and sore to say anything, but she ventures a tired smile. Chuck leans over and drops a lingering kiss on her forehead. He feels her hand clutch at the front of his shirt, and all he wants to do is crawl into bed next to her and hold her.

It's not long before Sarah falls alseep again, but at least now he feels like the weight of a whole mountain has been lifted off his shoulders.

* * *

Chuck can't help but smile when he walks in on her snapping at a nurse one morning. He can tell that she's antsy and restless, tired of being cooped up. As the nurse pushes past him and out of the room, the full-blown Bartowski grin blossoms on his face. Sarah narrows her eyes at him, and under different circumstances, the glower probably would have made his grin wilt in an instant. But not today.

"You're feeling better," he says in response to her unasked question. "When they start having to confiscate knives that they find under your pillow, I think that's when you're officially ready to be discharged."

His smile is infectious, and she feels her frustration melting away. "What makes you think I don't have any on me _now_?" she challenges, smirking.

Yep, definitely feeling better.

* * *

They both breathe an audible sigh of relief as they finally step into their apartment: home at last. As Chuck takes her jacket and hangs it over a chair, he notices that she subtly leans against the back of the couch. She might try to hide it, but the trek home has worn her out.

"What?" asks Sarah when she notices him watching her.

Chuck studies her for another moment before replying. "You're tired." It's not a question.

Sarah automatically opens her mouth to protest, but realizes that he can see right through the act. He always could. "A bit," she admits. Truthfully, she's more than _a bit_ tired, and they both know it.

The corner of Chuck's mouth quirks up, and he wraps an arm around her waist, helping her up. "I know the last thing you want to do right now is lay in bed some more..."

"...but at least it's our own bed," she finishes for him. Together, they make their way to the bedroom. He helps her change into a comfortable set of pajamas, and tries not to wince at the sight of the bandages still wrapped around her side. She crawls into bed gingerly and Chuck follows a few seconds later. As he slides his arms around her, she settles back against his chest and smiles, closing her eyes. She's exhausted and sore and knows she still has a long road ahead, but here, in this moment, everything feels right again.


End file.
